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Committee clears parking ordinance changes; sets $5/hour ceiling and $20 citation cap as starting policy
Summary
The committee advanced changes to Roswell's parking ordinance to allow designated paid areas and to set a dynamic-pricing ceiling; the measure also adds Old Mill Park to the areas subject to paid parking and establishes a $20 maximum citation for failure to pay.
The committee voted to advance an ordinance update that lets the city designate paid parking areas, sets a maximum hourly rate and establishes a maximum citation for failure to pay as the administration develops a pricing and enforcement plan.
Jeff Leatherman, who presented the item, said the ordinance language clarifies the city's authority to establish and designate paid city parking areas both on- and off-street and to repeal a 2019 resolution. The packet material recommends a maximum parking rate of $5 per hour, with an annual escalation cap of 4 percent, and a maximum citation of $20 for failure to pay.
Leatherman told the committee the administration intends to deploy a dynamic pricing model for demand management, keep initial fees comparable to current private lot rates, and give the city administrator authority to set actual hourly fees (within the $5 ceiling). The ordinance as drafted would also add the Old Mill Park parking lot to the list of locations subject to paid parking and permit the city to use designated technology if policy decisions determine a resident-only or license-plate enforcement model is appropriate.
Committee members spent substantial time on the citation amount and on whether the city should provide warnings or a grace period when enforcement begins. Councilmember Sarah Beeson argued higher fines could prompt people to pay citations instead of paying for parking; other members described the city's preference for an education-first rollout and noted technology-based options (license-plate readers and dynamic enforcement) could enable escalated enforcement for repeat offenders. The mayor and staff said the $20 cap was proposed as a nonpunitive starting point, with the ability to change the ordinance language before council reading if the body prefers a higher penalty.
Councilmember Julie Hills moved to advance the ordinance; Councilmember David Johnson seconded. The committee voted unanimously to move the ordinance to the council for first and second readings. Staff said they would continue stakeholder outreach, meet vendors to evaluate technology this week, and aim to provide a deployment plan and further recommendations to the council.
